Nice honest review!!!! I think it looks great, BUT that being said the design flaws are very off putting. Cheers mate!!! Always a fun watch when you post!
Thank you man. Really appreciate that coming from yourself. Yeah the design flaws are an issue. I mean I think overall it looks great but I would expect better from Juwel and for the price.
It is a surprise that the panels don't interlock better, and blend together in the pattern. Still, once they algae-up, it will look Fantastic!!!...........it looks Good now.
Thanks a lot Colin. I'm not too bothered it doesn't lock neatly underneath. If anything it offers the opportunity to run an airline through there but I definitely feel like the front should fit together better and give a more seemless finish hey.
Thanks Laz. Bet they're super expensive over there even more than here. I've often considered a the DIY route but unfortunately my artistic skills would fail me.
Awesome review! the background looks really nice! it's probably so much easier to install with an empty tank but most people like yourself usually have the tank set up already, oh well you still did a good job installing it even though it had some water in the tank.
Awesome Daniel….we agree with Colin that it’s a little surprising that the panels don’t blend together better….you may have said something about that but we have the sound off and are just watching at the airport….we are in the Chicago airport as the layover from Cleveland to San Antonio….we hope you and your family have a great Easter and we will see you in a week or so😀😀😀👋👋👋
Yeah that was the point of me showing that clip to highlight wow bably they blend together both the pieces and the pattern. Hope you guys had a safe and comfortable flight.
Does look good but pricey and the filter one only goes upro the outlet. I saw in one of your earlier videos that detritus gets behind the filter. Could you use the off cut piece to take it to the glass and stop it happening on that side. I'm seriously thinking of getting the 180 and was wondering if the back would stop the detritus problem.
The 3 pieces recommended by Juwel is meant to fill the back of the tank without the filterbox. I always take out the filterboxe in Juwel tanks and add 3D backgrounds.
I really wish you showed how you were able to set the 3D background while partially submerged, as mine came unstuck recently and now I have to figure out how to reattach without fully draining the tank while using the same adhesive glue you used. I’m at a loss.
Right Paul. Definitely makes the fish stand out but hopefully feel more comfortable too. I guess that should maybe make the price more palletable then maybe.
Great honest review mate! It definitely has made the aquarium pop! I think adding some moss or some anubias of java ferns to it would look amazing or some hygrophilia pinnatifida which looks like a fern would look absolutely stunning and really natural looking. Tbh I've never used 3d backgrounds before hence the prices. Thanks for sharing mate 🙂
Thanks bud. Yeah I'd never had done it was it not for the hefty discount I was getting there but always admired these and wanted to try them. Considered the DIY option a few times but I'm just not artistic enough to get it right.
@@DanielKeepingFish yeah they do look nice but I think for the price that they are they ain't worth it. I mean If you see the backgrounds the king of DIY gets thats more of what you should get for the money you pay for the juwel ones. But definitely look up the hygrophilia pinnatifida I think you will like it. Never say never mate , maybe try a few designs on your smaller tanks
The STR one? I looked at that, looks really cool. I wanted the granite because the paint scheme in the rest of the room is grey so kinda matches. That's only till Mrs DKF changes her mind and hands me a paint brush on my day off right enough haha..
Hi! I have a 70L tank, and i’m looking for a greyish background. Do you know other products, or only this background? Thankyou :) - Thanks for your review
I think there are others on the market but I haven't used any other ones. If you're feeling creative a lot of people make DIY ones. That's always a nice option to save a bit of cash and have some fun. Should be able to find a few videos on CZcams on how to do it I reckon. If you're not too bothered about 3D versions you can always paint the back of your tank. I normally use Plasti-Kote because it's easy to peel off if I want to change it up. 👍
How is this faring for you Daniel? I’m actually about to take the plunge and buy a 2nd hand Rio 350 with this exact background already on it. Think it could look great with some algae growing on it. I’ve been warned to make sure it’s really stuck-on to prevent fish getting stuck behind it. Are you still running the internal Juwel filter by itself? Quite happy with it? Thanks bud
Aside from my complaints mentioned in the video, mostly the price I do really like it. Once it's bought, paid for and in place it is pretty cool so if you're getting a tank with it already in that's a good result. As you say a wee bit of algae for a bit of extra character and it looks great in my opinion. You would need to check there's nowhere for smaller fish to get in and get stuck but I've got smaller fish like Ottos in mine and haven't lost any. Yes I run the filter still and am happy.
Hi. Wondering if the tank is standard? Do you use original light? Nature and light I belief. I’m reading the light is not strong enough and there are those with algae issues. You don’t seem to have any of this.
Hi Peter. Yes it's the stock LED I'm using. I wouldn't say it's not bright enough. My plants seem to be doing fine with it and it looks fine to me. The algae thing is a complicated issue. The more nutrients and light you have the more chance of producing algae so we tend to have to find a balance between these things to keep algae at bay. We can control it further by constant maintenance, routine water changes and of course plants that feed off the nutrients. So as plants grow they use more, when you remove them they are using less and so on. I do get a little algae on the front glass but the tank is quite near a window getting light all day. I use an algae scraper every now and then to remove it. I also have a group of Otocinclus Catfish which are marvelous at grazing on certain algae which probably helps a little but ultimately it's that balance between the nutrients and how long the lights are on for. Also some plants require more light or more intense light than others so perhaps the people saying the light isn't good enough are trying to grow those and that's why they're struggling? Obviously I couldn't know that without knowing the specifics. I hope that helps to answer your question.
I'm good mate. Bit worn out after this project. Still a bucket user for one thing so emptying the tank and filling it again was a back breaker without fitting the background too haha..
I usually paint mine Marit but I had that credit note sitting there for like six months and never could decide what to spend it on. Then Pabs mentioned about this background and I remembered how cool his tank looked when he did it so I thought it was perfect. It looks great but on my budget not two hundred quid great.
I hope you see this somehow mate I’ve just applied these to a brand new tank. Did your filter cover go right down to the substrate? I received a broken one got it replaced so I used the broken one modded it for a new side panel took it right to the back but I also took it to the floor of the aquarium which I think might have been a mistake.
Hey bud. I'm really sorry, I've only just seen this. No the filter cover only went to the bottom of the filter not all the way down. As to whether that's a problem or not I'm not sure without testing it myself. I mean if that's just the case on the side I doubt it. If you did it on the side of the filter and the front it would create a dead zone but as long as that area was still able to fill with water I imagine it'll be fine.
Ah, with great difficulty is going to be the answer to that one. I'm not even going to attempt it in fact. If anything I would say any void areas behind it will only serve to provide a harbour for bacteria and micro-organisms most if not all of which are sure to be beneficial to maintaining a balanced ecosystem.
Thanks Alison. I think the finished result is good too but I'd have felt guilty if I'd just showed that and hadn't pointed out the issues with it. For many it would be a stretch to their budget doing this so I'd rather they were aware of the shortfalls as well as seeing the positive aspects of doing it with this particular brand anyway. I have to be honest I didn't enjoy coming across negetive but for the sake of clarity...
@@DanielKeepingFish you werent negative more brutally honest and said it like it is. I respect that you are so on point and call a spade a spade. I know if I asked your opinion on a product you would give me an honest answer and if its crap you would say its crap lol
Hard for me to answer without knowing what sized tank you have bud but I gave the length of the back plates in the video so you should be able to work it out from there. For the filter plates you just need the front and side parts but they don't go all the way to the bottom of the tank, just to the bottom of the filter.
Do you know I had considered that but only after I already cut the front filter plate so it was then not wide enough to cover the edge of the off cut if I'd done that. The other thing was I wasn't too keen on having another repeated pattern piece. Thanks for your tip though. Hopefully that will help others out who are doing this.
Daniel, I will go along with others on being a great review. That being said it is disappointing. Jewel has a good name overall. I have a 110 litre but butchered it a long time ago. I took the filter out as well as the lid and have it as an open tank. Moss is better than algae on the joint of the panels. A few years ago Rachel O'Leary was using algae to decorate a tank. She added Pothos and it killed it all. Overall I like the background but if I tried something I would probably look down the DIY path.
Thanks very much Robert. Yeah I thought about moss but I would imagine it would be really hard to remove if I wanted to down the road once it got a hold in the foam.
sell the off cut for 20 pounds someone will buy that in the same predicament .re doing my tank after the fish past away ripe old age of 20 years got to silicone the 3d background on and plug a couple of holes so the new small fish dont get sucked into the filter system
It's a good idea for sure. Only problem is my middle name; D I'llkeepthatasit'llcomeinhandyoneday K F haha... Sorry to hear your long time fish buddy past. Never nice to hear.
I find Juwel frustrating at times, its the same as usual backgrounds, they also make the poster types but even they have to be cut etc, cant they just make them to find their actuall range of tanks, its not like they do lots of differant ones. The 3D ones should come as a complete pack made to size of their tanks too.
It was more a pain because I didn't empty the tank mate. Easier with an empty tank to work with but still is far from perfect considering the price and the quality of Juwel's typical standard.
I'm not sure of all the reasons but one that stands out is most tanks this size have support braces across the top of the tank. The Rio 450 has two at one third and two thirds along so you would need to remove those to get a full piece in. Would be better if one piece was possible though for sure.
Hahaha the ending 🤣. Thats really poor, you can tell they have put next to zero thought into selling those things. It does look good but they are just using one mould that doesnt even join properly and repeats the pattern taking away a natural look. 3d backgrounds are a good idea i have one and its a solid latex peice, looks pretty cool. You know you now have to get a small nano tank that will accomodate that offcut, otherwise its a waste of money, wink wink 😉
Haha.. glad you liked the ending. Was in two minds whether to go for it or not. Yeah kinda feel that's the quality you'd expect from producers at the lower end of the spectrum not Juwel and especially not at that price point hey.
For sure Mandy. I don't mind so much. If they're expensive to produce then the price is fair and it's up to us if we choose to buy them but I don't think it's fair people like me need to buy an addition piece to use less than half of it at the price they go for.
Malheureusement il manque 10 cm 😀 ,mais le surplus de la troisième peut permettre de bricoler un filtre. de plus il manque 16 cm en hauteur car ça fait 66 cm de hauteur et une plaque 50 cm,donc il faudrait 16 cm de sable ce qui fait beaucoup.bref c est plaque sont pas du tout adapté à ce Rio 450.ca ressemble plus à un puzzle ou Frankenstein 😀 Il faut 3 plaques plus un kit pour le filtre .donc ça fait chère .j'ai les mêmes sur mon trigon 190 stone granite black le rendu est très bon et bien solide dans le temps depuis 4 ans et toujours aussi bon état.il ma fallu deux plaques plus un kit filtre
Nice honest review!!!! I think it looks great, BUT that being said the design flaws are very off putting. Cheers mate!!! Always a fun watch when you post!
Thank you man. Really appreciate that coming from yourself. Yeah the design flaws are an issue. I mean I think overall it looks great but I would expect better from Juwel and for the price.
It is a surprise that the panels don't interlock better, and blend together in the pattern.
Still, once they algae-up, it will look Fantastic!!!...........it looks Good now.
Thanks a lot Colin. I'm not too bothered it doesn't lock neatly underneath. If anything it offers the opportunity to run an airline through there but I definitely feel like the front should fit together better and give a more seemless finish hey.
@@DanielKeepingFish I'm doing my live plant background video this weekend 😁👍
@@AussieAquatic I'll be looking forward to seeing that bud no doubt. Will keep my eyes peeled for it.
Great review Daniel! That is a sick background! I've been meaning to get a 3d background at some point. Keep it up mate! 👍
Thanks Laz. Bet they're super expensive over there even more than here. I've often considered a the DIY route but unfortunately my artistic skills would fail me.
Love the design
It is pretty cool hey.
looking good, insightful review
Thanks Raleigh.
Awesome review! the background looks really nice! it's probably so much easier to install with an empty tank but most people like yourself usually have the tank set up already, oh well you still did a good job installing it even though it had some water in the tank.
Thanks very much mate. It was actually a bit of a battle. Had to draw on all my ingenuity and a fair bit of luck haha.
@@DanielKeepingFish At least you were able to get it installed, it looks awesome and like you said once algae grows on them it will look even better
It's looking very nice 🙂
Awesome Daniel….we agree with Colin that it’s a little surprising that the panels don’t blend together better….you may have said something about that but we have the sound off and are just watching at the airport….we are in the Chicago airport as the layover from Cleveland to San Antonio….we hope you and your family have a great Easter and we will see you in a week or so😀😀😀👋👋👋
Yeah that was the point of me showing that clip to highlight wow bably they blend together both the pieces and the pattern.
Hope you guys had a safe and comfortable flight.
Looks awesome
Thanks man. 👍
Great honest review brother 👍👍👍
Does look good but pricey and the filter one only goes upro the outlet. I saw in one of your earlier videos that detritus gets behind the filter. Could you use the off cut piece to take it to the glass and stop it happening on that side. I'm seriously thinking of getting the 180 and was wondering if the back would stop the detritus problem.
The 3 pieces recommended by Juwel is meant to fill the back of the tank without the filterbox. I always take out the filterboxe in Juwel tanks and add 3D backgrounds.
I really wish you showed how you were able to set the 3D background while partially submerged, as mine came unstuck recently and now I have to figure out how to reattach without fully draining the tank while using the same adhesive glue you used. I’m at a loss.
The grey does accentuate the colours on the fish, especially the Acaras and the Rainbows but the price of the background is eye-watering!!!
Right Paul. Definitely makes the fish stand out but hopefully feel more comfortable too. I guess that should maybe make the price more palletable then maybe.
Great honest review mate! It definitely has made the aquarium pop! I think adding some moss or some anubias of java ferns to it would look amazing or some hygrophilia pinnatifida which looks like a fern would look absolutely stunning and really natural looking. Tbh I've never used 3d backgrounds before hence the prices. Thanks for sharing mate 🙂
Thanks bud. Yeah I'd never had done it was it not for the hefty discount I was getting there but always admired these and wanted to try them. Considered the DIY option a few times but I'm just not artistic enough to get it right.
@@DanielKeepingFish yeah they do look nice but I think for the price that they are they ain't worth it. I mean If you see the backgrounds the king of DIY gets thats more of what you should get for the money you pay for the juwel ones. But definitely look up the hygrophilia pinnatifida I think you will like it.
Never say never mate , maybe try a few designs on your smaller tanks
@@KingsAquariumsAndAntWorld yeah I've used Pinnatifida before. Great plant for scapes with rock/wood piles to add in the gaps.
You are so right I usually buy the plain black ones there cheaper and they look just as good and joint don't sit out as much
The STR one? I looked at that, looks really cool. I wanted the granite because the paint scheme in the rest of the room is grey so kinda matches. That's only till Mrs DKF changes her mind and hands me a paint brush on my day off right enough haha..
Hi! I have a 70L tank, and i’m looking for a greyish background. Do you know other products, or only this background? Thankyou :) - Thanks for your review
I think there are others on the market but I haven't used any other ones. If you're feeling creative a lot of people make DIY ones. That's always a nice option to save a bit of cash and have some fun. Should be able to find a few videos on CZcams on how to do it I reckon.
If you're not too bothered about 3D versions you can always paint the back of your tank. I normally use Plasti-Kote because it's easy to peel off if I want to change it up. 👍
I think it looks good 👍
Thanks John. Yeah I like it. Just think Juwel should iron out a couple of the shortfalls considering the price and their usual high standard.
How is this faring for you Daniel? I’m actually about to take the plunge and buy a 2nd hand Rio 350 with this exact background already on it. Think it could look great with some algae growing on it. I’ve been warned to make sure it’s really stuck-on to prevent fish getting stuck behind it.
Are you still running the internal Juwel filter by itself? Quite happy with it?
Thanks bud
Aside from my complaints mentioned in the video, mostly the price I do really like it. Once it's bought, paid for and in place it is pretty cool so if you're getting a tank with it already in that's a good result. As you say a wee bit of algae for a bit of extra character and it looks great in my opinion.
You would need to check there's nowhere for smaller fish to get in and get stuck but I've got smaller fish like Ottos in mine and haven't lost any.
Yes I run the filter still and am happy.
Hi. Wondering if the tank is standard? Do you use original light? Nature and light I belief. I’m reading the light is not strong enough and there are those with algae issues. You don’t seem to have any of this.
Hi Peter. Yes it's the stock LED I'm using. I wouldn't say it's not bright enough. My plants seem to be doing fine with it and it looks fine to me.
The algae thing is a complicated issue. The more nutrients and light you have the more chance of producing algae so we tend to have to find a balance between these things to keep algae at bay. We can control it further by constant maintenance, routine water changes and of course plants that feed off the nutrients. So as plants grow they use more, when you remove them they are using less and so on.
I do get a little algae on the front glass but the tank is quite near a window getting light all day. I use an algae scraper every now and then to remove it. I also have a group of Otocinclus Catfish which are marvelous at grazing on certain algae which probably helps a little but ultimately it's that balance between the nutrients and how long the lights are on for.
Also some plants require more light or more intense light than others so perhaps the people saying the light isn't good enough are trying to grow those and that's why they're struggling? Obviously I couldn't know that without knowing the specifics.
I hope that helps to answer your question.
Looks great M8.... Hope your well DKF..
I'm good mate. Bit worn out after this project. Still a bucket user for one thing so emptying the tank and filling it again was a back breaker without fitting the background too haha..
@@DanielKeepingFish lol....I did the bucket brigade for 20 yrs, finally just got a python for my water changes 2 yrs ago....take care brother..
I have the 400 liter. It’s a reason why I took the filter out and no background!!! I’ve never kept the filters on any of my jewel tanks
I usually paint mine Marit but I had that credit note sitting there for like six months and never could decide what to spend it on. Then Pabs mentioned about this background and I remembered how cool his tank looked when he did it so I thought it was perfect. It looks great but on my budget not two hundred quid great.
I hope you see this somehow mate I’ve just applied these to a brand new tank. Did your filter cover go right down to the substrate? I received a broken one got it replaced so I used the broken one modded it for a new side panel took it right to the back but I also took it to the floor of the aquarium which I think might have been a mistake.
Hey bud. I'm really sorry, I've only just seen this. No the filter cover only went to the bottom of the filter not all the way down.
As to whether that's a problem or not I'm not sure without testing it myself. I mean if that's just the case on the side I doubt it. If you did it on the side of the filter and the front it would create a dead zone but as long as that area was still able to fill with water I imagine it'll be fine.
@@DanielKeepingFish ended up cutting it off at the bottom because I have a couple of crazy Cherry Barbs that will squeeze in any tiny hole they can.
@@ryanmcauley611 probably a good shout.
How would you clean behind them after they’ve been stuck on?
Ah, with great difficulty is going to be the answer to that one. I'm not even going to attempt it in fact. If anything I would say any void areas behind it will only serve to provide a harbour for bacteria and micro-organisms most if not all of which are sure to be beneficial to maintaining a balanced ecosystem.
Looks really good even if it posed issues for installation End product looks great though. Very honest review. Do like them backgrounds alot 👍
Thanks Alison. I think the finished result is good too but I'd have felt guilty if I'd just showed that and hadn't pointed out the issues with it. For many it would be a stretch to their budget doing this so I'd rather they were aware of the shortfalls as well as seeing the positive aspects of doing it with this particular brand anyway.
I have to be honest I didn't enjoy coming across negetive but for the sake of clarity...
@@DanielKeepingFish you werent negative more brutally honest and said it like it is. I respect that you are so on point and call a spade a spade. I know if I asked your opinion on a product you would give me an honest answer and if its crap you would say its crap lol
@@alisonnicholson thanks Alison. Feel slightly less bad about it now haha..
@@DanielKeepingFish wouldnt feel bad about it end of. You gave your opinion Daniel if people get butt hurt by it tough. 🤣🤣🤣
Looks great but I see your point about the straight edges not blending in with the start of the next edge. The price is steep though
Too steep I reckon. Not sure what the production costs are but certainly feel they are very expensive for what they are.
43 like 👍
Thank you.
Do i need to buy 2 plates it looks smaller in the box
Hard for me to answer without knowing what sized tank you have bud but I gave the length of the back plates in the video so you should be able to work it out from there.
For the filter plates you just need the front and side parts but they don't go all the way to the bottom of the tank, just to the bottom of the filter.
I used the offcut to cover the filter box
Do you know I had considered that but only after I already cut the front filter plate so it was then not wide enough to cover the edge of the off cut if I'd done that. The other thing was I wasn't too keen on having another repeated pattern piece. Thanks for your tip though. Hopefully that will help others out who are doing this.
I see these in some of the stores near me, they are pretty pricey
Right bud. Too pricey I feel like hey.
Can you put a link please
Daniel, I will go along with others on being a great review. That being said it is disappointing. Jewel has a good name overall. I have a 110 litre but butchered it a long time ago. I took the filter out as well as the lid and have it as an open tank. Moss is better than algae on the joint of the panels.
A few years ago Rachel O'Leary was using algae to decorate a tank. She added Pothos and it killed it all.
Overall I like the background but if I tried something I would probably look down the DIY path.
Thanks very much Robert. Yeah I thought about moss but I would imagine it would be really hard to remove if I wanted to down the road once it got a hold in the foam.
sell the off cut for 20 pounds someone will buy that in the same predicament .re doing my tank after the fish past away ripe old age of 20 years got to silicone the 3d background on and plug a couple of holes so the new small fish dont get sucked into the filter system
It's a good idea for sure. Only problem is my middle name; D I'llkeepthatasit'llcomeinhandyoneday K F haha...
Sorry to hear your long time fish buddy past. Never nice to hear.
I find Juwel frustrating at times, its the same as usual backgrounds, they also make the poster types but even they have to be cut etc, cant they just make them to find their actuall range of tanks, its not like they do lots of differant ones. The 3D ones should come as a complete pack made to size of their tanks too.
I like the background but yes sounds like a pain to work with
It was more a pain because I didn't empty the tank mate. Easier with an empty tank to work with but still is far from perfect considering the price and the quality of Juwel's typical standard.
Why don't they make it in one piece so there are no seams?
I'm not sure of all the reasons but one that stands out is most tanks this size have support braces across the top of the tank. The Rio 450 has two at one third and two thirds along so you would need to remove those to get a full piece in. Would be better if one piece was possible though for sure.
Hahaha the ending 🤣.
Thats really poor, you can tell they have put next to zero thought into selling those things.
It does look good but they are just using one mould that doesnt even join properly and repeats the pattern taking away a natural look.
3d backgrounds are a good idea i have one and its a solid latex peice, looks pretty cool.
You know you now have to get a small nano tank that will accomodate that offcut, otherwise its a waste of money, wink wink 😉
Haha.. glad you liked the ending. Was in two minds whether to go for it or not.
Yeah kinda feel that's the quality you'd expect from producers at the lower end of the spectrum not Juwel and especially not at that price point hey.
The Rio 450 and 400 are the same. The 400 is the older name
sounds like a love hate with these ..they do look nice but the price is extortionate
For sure Mandy. I don't mind so much. If they're expensive to produce then the price is fair and it's up to us if we choose to buy them but I don't think it's fair people like me need to buy an addition piece to use less than half of it at the price they go for.
Malheureusement il manque 10 cm 😀 ,mais le surplus de la troisième peut permettre de bricoler un filtre.
de plus il manque 16 cm en hauteur car ça fait 66 cm de hauteur et une plaque 50 cm,donc il faudrait 16 cm de sable ce qui fait beaucoup.bref c est plaque sont pas du tout adapté à ce Rio 450.ca ressemble plus à un puzzle ou Frankenstein 😀
Il faut 3 plaques plus un kit pour le filtre .donc ça fait chère .j'ai les mêmes sur mon trigon 190 stone granite black le rendu est très bon et bien solide dans le temps depuis 4 ans et toujours aussi bon état.il ma fallu deux plaques plus un kit filtre